This invention relates to valve actuating and bottle holding devices, more particularly to valve actuating and bottle holding devices for use with pump-type valves.
Until recently, aerosols have been used almost exclusively for dispersing solutions of materials, or suspensions of finely ground solids, or liquid emulsions, all of which are generally referred to as liquid products throughout this specification. The development of aerosols was given tremendous impetus by discoveries made during World War II. This was due to several contributing factors, the most important of which was that a container with the solution could also contain a gas or a mixture of gases which could be liquified under a modest pressure. Thus, by slight pressure on a releasing valve, the gas would propel the liquid product through a directing outlet. The outlet often was an orifice designed to break up the liquid into fine droplets to form a mist.
Since aerosol dispensers became increasingly popular, many alternative devices were developed in order to increase the ease with which the finger-operated valve could be actuated. However, all of those devices were generally directed to a trigger-type actuating device.
The only prior art reference known to us which teaches a handle and actuating device, with the actuating member pivotally connected to the handle member, is Belpedio, U.S. Pat. No. 3,318,473, issued May 9, 1967.
In Belpedio, a wire handle is disclosed which incorporates a valve actuating member pivotally mounted forward of the handle. The actuating member also incorporates means for spreading the wire sides of the handle for engagement around the aerosol container. As will be clear from the following detailed description, the handle and actuating device of Belpedio is completely inapplicable for use with pump sprays, since the device of Belpedio would be both incapable of secure engagement about the pump spray as well as being completely unable to provide the necessary downward actuating force to the pump valve in order to achieve the desired spray mist.
Recently, aerosol containers have become increasingly unpopular due to the belief that the propellants in the aerosol container have an adverse effect upon the earth's ozone layer. Consequently, any research on improving pump-type valves received great impetus from the substantially increased demand for an effective pump-type valve. As is well known, a pump-type valve is employed by attaching the valve to a container of the liquid product. Then, by finger actuation of the pump valve system, the liquid product is discharged under pressure developed in the valve.
However, despite the improvements and developments resulting from the concentrated activity on pump-type valves, the manually operated pump valve requires the user's strength and dexterity in order to operate the valve properly. The requirement for strength and dexterity of the user is particularly acute when the liquid product must be delivered in a mist form with a droplet in the desirable range of 11 to 45 microns.
Strength is required in order to develop the necessary fast motion of the valve's finger-responsive actuator, which in turn develops the necessary pressure to deliver the liquid product to the finely constricted orifice. The orifice construction is used to "break up" the liquid into the desired spray mist. Consequently, not only must sufficient force be generated by the user, but also speed requiring dexterity is also necessary in order to achieve the desired spray mist.
Depending upon the particular liquid product being employed and the condition under which the product is being used, the ease of operating the pump-type valve becomes the most important factor. In particular, if the product to be used is a hair spray to give a coiffured hair a thin film of a cohesive polymer when dried, the pump-type valve must be activated usually 12 to 15 times in less than 10 seconds.
This requirement is extremely difficult, since many women do not have the strength and skill to achieve this speed with their index finger while holding the container with the thumb and other three fingers. Consequently, these female operators must depend upon the thumb of their strength to press the button, which makes it extremely awkward to hold the container and direct the mist to the desired areas.
Depending upon the size and shape of the container and the size of the operator's hand, extreme difficulty or complete inability may result when holding the bottle and operating the pump at the same time is attempted. In the professional field wherein a hair dresser must employ a hairspray product many times during a single day, these difficulties and problems become increasingly acute.
Therefore, it is a principle object of our invention to provide a pump-type valve actuating and bottle holding device which can be easily employed to securely hold the bottle and actuate the pump-type valve regardless of the size and shape of the hand of the operator.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a pump-type valve actuating and bottle holding device having the characteristic features defined above wherein the pump type valve is indirectly actuated with a minimum of force.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a pump-type valve actuating and bottle holding device having the characteristic features defined above which is removably mountable directly to the bottle and valve assembly, thereby allowing the actuating and holding device to be used repeatedly.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a pump-type valve actuating and bottle holding device having the characteristic features defined above which is lightweight as well as rigidly constructed and reinforced for maximum strength and long life.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a pump-type valve actuating and bottle holding device having the characteristic features defined above which enables a pump valve to achieve the ease, convenience and quality of the spray mist previously attainable only with an aerosol-type valve and container.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a pump-type valve actuating and bottle holding device having the characteristic features defined above which is inexpensive to manufacture and easy to assemble.
Other and more specific objects will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.